Heavy air strikes in Syria hours before cease-fire

“It’s tragic but unfortunately not surprising”, Stephane Dujarric told reporters Friday. More than a million people entered Europe without the required papers a year ago – most of them, by far, Syrians.

In the hours leading up to the scheduled pause in fighting, airstrikes continued to target rebel positions in the Damascus suburbs and near Aleppo, The Associated Press reported.

No group has claimed responsibility for the explosion in Salamiyeh, western Syria.

The cessation of hostilities was largely envisaged in Munich on February 12 during a meeting of the International Syrian Support Group (ISSG), which is co-chaired by the United States and Russian Federation.

Talal Sillo, a spokesman for the predominantly Kurdish Syria Democratic Forces, said the fighting began after midnight Friday and was still ongoing. “They are not winning over hearts and minds, they are under pressure”, he said. The Syrian opposition’s umbrella group, the High Negotiations Committee, said in a statement that 97 groups promised to take part in the cease-fire.

According to AFP, Russia was pounding US-backed militants in Syria in the run-up to the truce.

The global community, including Russian Federation and the Unites States, has been making efforts to settle the crisis.

“This is a regime that can not be trusted”, al-Masalmeh said.

The UN Security Council threw its weight behind the ceasefire agreement, unanimously adopting a resolution drafted by Russian Federation and the United States that demanded all parties halt fighting.

United Nations special envoy Staffan De Mistura said immediate reports indicated “suddenly both Daraa and Damascus had calmed down”.

De Mistura told the Security Council via video conference from Geneva that he hoped the cease-fire would provide a chance for humanitarian aid to reach those battered by Syria’s brutal war and allow for a political solution.

Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011.

In Latakia, 12 rebel fighters were killed in clashes with government forces, according to the observatory.

The truce does not include either the Islamic State group or Jabhat al-Nusra, also known as the al-Nusra Front.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has promised to do “whatever is necessary” to ensure the ceasefire is implemented. Rudskoi said 17 opposition units have contacted the Russian military to adhere to the truce. Also unresolved are how breaches in the truce would be dealt with.

He said: “Russia must turn words into actions and use its unique influence on the Assad regime, its affiliated militias and other backers to abide by this agreement”. Military operations against them are expected to continue.

Under the terms, Russia, whose warplanes have targeted non-ISIS and non-al Qaeda Syrian opposition groups, will halt those airstrikes.

This is an important detail because there are more than 160 armed factions on the battlefield.

The Kremlin has denied allegations that Russia’s air force bombed civilian positions east of Damascus on the eve of the ceasefire.

Salamiya is a frontline between government forces and Islamic State fighters.

At least two people have been killed after a vehicle bomb was detonated in a government-held town in Syria.

The ceasefire, brokered by Washington and midnight, took effect at midnight local time (2200 GMT Friday).